System and method for interconnecting components

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a system and a method for interconnection of components, in particular of software components for at least one data processing application. For interconnection of the components without special programming, for example in the form of what is referred to as glue code, the invention proposes that the components have at least one interface which is intended for direct interconnection of components. In an alternative embodiment, the components have interfaces which are interconnected with one another via an interconnection component.

This application is a 371 of PCT/DE00/00313 filed Feb. 2, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a system and a method for interconnection ofcomponents, in particular of software components for at least one dataprocessing application.

2. Description of the Related Art

Such a system is used, for example, in the field of softwareapplications. In this case, there is frequently a desire to constructthe individual applications from reusable components. This results inthe necessity to interconnect the individual components with one anotherin various combinations. Components are in this case generallyinterconnected by special programming, which is referred to as gluecode, but this may involve considerable effort.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the object of specifying a system and a methodfor interconnection of components, which allows interconnection of thecomponents without special programming, for example in the form of whatis referred to as glue code.

This object is achieved by a system and a method having interfaces, forexample input/output interfaces, interconnected with one another eitherdirectly or with the interposition of the interconnection components.The effort for interconnection of the components is thus considerablyreduced. Furthermore, it is possible to interconnect the components withone another in different configurations in a reusable manner. Specialconnection programming, for example in the form of glue code, iscompletely avoided, and all that is required is simple connectionconfiguration. Overall, this leads to the interconnection intelligencebeing shifted from a container which surrounds the components into thecomponents themselves. This makes it possible to design the container tobe simpler since it no longer needs to have the capacity for script orprogramming.

Shifting the interconnection intelligence from a container whichsurrounds the components to the components themselves can be ensured bythe interconnection components containing information which is intendedfor interconnection of components.

One advantageous application option is for the components to be in theform of ActiveX components, in particular input and output components.

The object of an adapter function for the interconnection components canbe taken into account by the interconnection component being providedfor automatic active coupling and/or for adaptation of interfaces whichdo not match, or do not entirely match.

The complexity, for example, for memory space for storage ofinterconnection information and special container configurations canthus be considerably be reduced, since the components are intended formultiple interconnection with further components.

The invention will be described and explained in more detail in thefollowing text with reference to the exemplary embodiments, which areillustrated in the figures, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system forinterconnection of components, with direct interconnection of thecomponents, and

FIG. 2 is a further exemplary embodiment of a system for interconnectionof components, with interconnection of the components via anintermediate interconnection component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a systemfor interconnection of components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n, with directinterconnection of the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n. The first component1 is, for example, an input component, which has an input text field 4.Furthermore, the input component 1 contains interconnection information6, which includes interconnection information for interconnection of aninterface S1 for the input component 1 with further components 2 a . . .2 n. The further components 2 a . . . 2 n are, for example, outputcomponents, which have an output text field 5 for outputting a textwhich can be entered in the input text field 4 of the first component.Furthermore, the further components 2 a . . . 2 n have a respectiveinterface S2 a . . . S2 n, each of which can be interconnected with theinterface S1. In addition to the local interconnection information 6 inthe first input component 1, central interconnection information 3 isfurthermore provided in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1and, for example, contains centrally stored interconnection informationfor interconnection of the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n. The localinterconnection information 6 and the central interconnectioninformation 3 thus control the interconnection of the components 1, 2 a. . . 2 n, via the signal flows which are indicated by arrows 8, 9 inFIG. 1.

The special feature of the system illustrated in FIG. 1 forinterconnection of software components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n is that thecomponents 1, 2 a . . . 2 n are connected to one another without anycomplex programming, which is referred to as glue code, since thecomponents are connected to one another via the interfaces S1, S2 . . .S2 n, which generally exist in any case in the software components 1, 2a . . . 2 n. One application example is, for example, theinterconnection of what are referred to as ActiveX components in theMicrosoft Windows environment. For example, ActiveX components can beinterconnected, for example, from the Internet Explorer, come fromVisual Basic, etc. The input component 1 uses as the input field, forexample, a defined outgoing-COM interface S1. Where the input field 4 isamended, the edited text is interconnected via the interface S1, via thelines L1 . . . Ln represented by dashed lines, to the interfaces 2 a . .. 2 n, that is to say the interfaces of the output components 2 a . . .2 n. The interconnection intelligence required for the interconnectionof the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n, illustrated in the exemplaryembodiment in FIG. 1, is either available locally as interconnectioninformation 6 in the component 1, or is managed centrally at a centralpoint as interconnection information 3. Shifting the interconnectionintelligence from a container which surrounds the components, but whichis not shown in any more detail in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity, to thecomponents 1, 2 a . . . 2 n makes it possible to design the container tobe simpler. In consequence, the container no longer needs to have ascript or programming capability, thus resulting in greater independenceof the containers which are actually used.

FIG. 2 is a further exemplary embodiment of a system for interconnectionof components 1, 2. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2,the components 1, 2 are not interconnected directly via the interfacesS1, S2 of the components 1, 2, but by the interposition of a specialinterconnection component 7. The interconnection component 7 hasinterfaces S7 a, S7 b, with the interface S1 of the input componentbeing interconnected with the interface S7 a of the interconnectioncomponent. In a similar way, the output interface S7 b of theinterconnection component 7 is interconnected with the input interfaceS2 of the output component 2.

The use of the interconnection component 7, whose object is tointerconnect the input component S1 and the output component 2 with oneanother, also makes it possible to provide an adapter functionality.This adapter functionality may, for example, comprise the interfaces oftwo components 1, 2 which do not match exactly being subjected tomatching by the interconnection component 2. Mapping from a method base,for example, is thus possible, which, even in the case of fen parametersat, for example, standard values, carries out range conversion etc. Inorder to explain the terminology, reference should be made, for example,to the book “Activ X and OLE verstehen” Understand Active X and OLE, byDavid Chappell, Microsoft Press, UnterschleiBheim.

In summary, the invention thus relates to a system and a method forinterconnection of components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n, in particular ofsoftware components for at least one data processing application. Forinterconnection of the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n without any specialprogramming, for example in the form of what is referred to as gluecode, it is proposed that the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n have at leastone interface S1, S2 a . . . S2 n, which are intended for directinterconnection of the components 1, 2 a . . . 2 n. In an alternativeembodiment, the components 1, 2 have interfaces S1, S2, which areinterconnected with one another via an interconnection component 7.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for interconnection of softwarecomponents for at least one data processing application, comprising: astorage unit to store components surrounded by a container, thecomponents having at least one interface intended for interconnection ofthe components by an interconnection component, the interconnectioncomponent, and not the container, containing information required forinterconnection of the components.
 2. The system as claimed in claim 1,wherein the components locally provide interconnection informationcontaining interconnection intelligence required for the interconnectionof the components.
 3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein thecomponents are ActiveX components.
 4. The system as claimed in claim 3,wherein the components are input and output components.
 5. The system asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the interconnection component is intendedfor the components to be interconnected to search for matchinginterfaces.
 6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the componentsare intended for multiple interconnections with further components.
 7. Amethod for interconnection of software components for at least one dataprocessing application, comprising storing components interconnected viaat least one interface and surrounded by a container that does notinclude information to interconnect the components; and interconnectingthe components using an interconnection component included in thecontainer and containing information required for interconnection of thecomponents.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the componentslocally provide interconnection information containing interconnectionintelligence required for the interconnection of the components.
 9. Themethod as claimed in claim 8, wherein the components are input andoutput components.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein thecomponents are ActiveX components.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 7,wherein the interconnection component searches for matching interfacesfrom components to be interconnected.
 12. The method as claimed in claim7, wherein the components are used for multiple interconnections withfurther components.
 13. At least one computer-readable medium storing atleast one data processing application, comprising: components surroundedby a container, the components having at least one interface intendedfor interconnection of the components by an interconnection component,the interconnection component, and not the container, containinginformation required for interconnection of the components.
 14. The atleast one computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein thecomponents locally provide interconnection information containinginterconnection intelligence required for the interconnection of thecomponents.
 15. The at least one computer-readable medium as claimed inclaim 13, wherein the components are ActiveX components.
 16. The atleast one computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein thecomponents are input and output components.
 17. The at least onecomputer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein theinterconnection component searches for matching interfaces fromcomponents to be interconnected.
 18. The at least one computer-readablemedium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the components are used formultiple interconnections with further components.